Guardian Angels Montessori

New Covid Policies

• We ask parents to wash their own and children’s hands at home and the children’s hands will be washed on arrival at Montessori. We will encourage children to wash hands regularly and practice good respiratory hygiene (coughing, sneezing). Hands will be washed on arrival and throughout the day. Children will attend with clean clothes daily.
• Parents are asked to ensure children are well coming to Montessori and if parents were unsure to take your child’s temperature at home.
• We will use a non contact digital thermometer which will be used should we think your child is feeling unwell. You will get a disclaimer to sign about temperature taking in your parent’s pack in the first week.
• You will be asked 3 questions on arrival with your child- Has your child been ill in the last 24 hours? Has the child had medication in the last 24 hours? Has your child had a temperature in the last 24 hours? If the answer is yes to any of these questions your child will not be able to attend Montessori that day.
• Should your child display symptoms of covid such as a temperature or a cough we will call the parents immediately and isolate your child with a staff member. You will be advised to contact your GP and go on their advice. Children displaying symptoms must be symptom free for 48 hours before returning to Montessori.
• You will hear the word play pod used which is the term for a group of children in the Montessori. We will have 2 play pods, 1 in the morning session and 1 in the afternoon. Between each pod, all toys and surfaces will be cleaned and disinfected. Toys will be rotated and we have shelved our attic to allow for easy rotation.
• We need parents to act responsible with illness in their child, especially contagious illnesses that will make children and staff in their pod sick. If you are unsure which illness we exclude in class please refer to the parents policies which was emailed to you. If we find your child is too sick to be in Montessori, you will be called and asked to collect them immediately.
• Lunches need to be contained in a hard plastic box that is cleaned each day, it needs to be able to contain all your child’s lunch and drink. Only a small snack is needed and please refer to our healthy eating policy on what to send. If you wish to use a ziplock bag, please ensure that it is fit for purpose and clean. All lunches will be stored in our fridge until your child’s snack time.
• We will display information on the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and correct hand-washing techniques within the setting. A structured framework to be followed by management and worker representative within the organisation to be put in place and inform all staff of essential hygiene and respiratory etiquette and physical distancing requirements. We will adapt the setting to facilitate physical distancing between adults and keep a log of contact / group work to help with contact tracing.

Collection and drop off

• Please adhere to the 2 meter markings to support social distancing.
• We ask that only one parents bring and collects your child. Due to measures introduced parents are not allowed on the premises. We encourage a kiss, a cuddle and a high 5 when dropping them off. Children are very receptive of their parent’s emotions and will pick up if you are feeling anxious. If you talk about going to Montessori in a positive light using photos provided or from
• FB or Instagram your child will be prepared starting their next journey.
• We will send you photos of your child’s learning through whatsapp and they will also have photos in their scrapbook which will be sent home once a term.
• Children will need comfort throughout the day and our staff are trained how to deal with upset children, we will still offer them cuddles if they get hurt and we take care to get to know all the children personally so they feel happy and safe in Montessori.
• Please do not leave equipment at or outside the Montessori such as buggies or bikes. If possible, please do not bring in any soothers or comforters from home. Should such items be needed during the day please leave a spare one in Montessori which will be cleaned after each use.
• Parents will be asked to complete a return to Montessori covid safety questionnaire before your child starts Montessori.

Supporting children to settle back into Montessori

We will retain our child-centred practice throughout the Covid pandemic, putting the need of the child to the forefront while adhering to public health advice to reduce the transmission of the virus. Children will need emotional support, nurturing and care as they transition back into Montessori.
Children will have been impacted by covid and the restrictions placed on their lives and some children they may experience some separation anxiety from their parents on their return and may become distressed about being apart from them. When young children are distressed, they can be overwhelmed and this often shows in their behaviour, which again is a normal response to stress and staff are trained to deal with this.